It was as though south-east Jeanneau dealer Blackrock Yachting had ordained the weather – it was perfect for proving Jeanneau’s latest model’s suitability for the British climate.

There I was, bowling down Southampton Water at an easy 25-knot cruise in the sunshine courtesy of a pair of Volvo Penta D3 220hp sterndrive diesels, helm-side sliding door connecting me with the elements while the deck saloon layout shields me from the wind blast, when suddenly the weather does that peculiarly British thing of turning into a different day. The already-strident wind picks up, the sky turns from pale blue to slate grey and the heavens open.

A tug of the sliding door and a lunge for the wiper switches (which need moving much closer) and we’re snug against the elements, speed unabated.

Deep side windows offer great surround vision and during a hard turn to port, the usual roof blindspot is eradicated by glass panels in the electric sliding roof.

It works well on the water then, but the cleverest parts of the new NC 33 are all about making living aboard more comfortable, and that starts the moment you enter the cockpit and discover that the aft section of seating is mounted on runners, allowing it to extend back over the bathing platform to recapture what’s usually dead space if you’re not storing a dinghy on it.

Side decks are asymmetric, priority given to the starboard side which has deep bulwarks with a small access door to make side boarding easier.